Harry Potter and the Time of the Twilight Sorcerer
by Maxed959
Summary: Post-OOPH with spoilers from the next two books. Summer after fifth year Harry is tired of Dumbledore's manipulations and knows he isn't strong enough to defeat Voldemort. Harry uses the summer to train and take back control of his life. Time Travel. No pairings.
1. The Rebellion Begins

**AN: My one and only disclaimer; All hail the Great and Powerful Rowling!  
**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Rebellion Begins

* * *

Dumbledore sat in his office and seethed. Damn that insufferable boy! Looking around his destroyed office he sighed. It had taken him almost 50 years of his life to design and create the delicate silver instruments.

It had started while he was still teaching transfiguration and needed to keep an eye on young Tom Riddle and had expanded from there. His first models had all failed in spectacular manners, some exploding destroying his notes, but Tom had vanished long before he had success. Only in the last 17 years had he perfected his instruments. He had made steady progress but it had been slow going working in his slim periods of time to himself. Between the International Confederation of Wizards, the Wizengamot, his duties as Headmaster of Hogwarts, and subtle manipulations, Dumbledore had very little time for inventing.

Fuming Dumbledore realized that he may not have time to rebuild the volatile little machines. The ones now in pieces around his office had been his most used and precious as they all had one thing in common. Harry Potter.

Most of them had been tracking or monitoring devices of the highest caliber. They were sensitive enough to catch slight fluctuations in mood, temperature, hunger, and magical power. There was an entire series indicating location. But while they had been useful, it was his last two that truly angered the old wizard.

Both the magical suppressor and magical signature block had been tied into the first devices to be smashed in the young wizards rage. Up until that point only owls the Headmaster had keyed in to the device had been able to make it past his block. The only notable exception being Hedwig, but then it is rather difficult to separate a wizard from his familiar.

"Damn him!" Dumbledore said. The tracking mechanisms being destroyed was not a large blow, but the others... The others had the potential to bring all of his carefully laid plans to ruin.

Unfortunately this problem would have to wait. He needed to prepare for the ICW's summer conference that was to start a week past the end of term. And being Supreme Mugwump, he had last minute planning to do as well as an agenda to write.

He sighed. No, Potter would have to wait. After all what could he possibly do trapped in that hellhole he himself had shoved him into? And with the Order watching the boy nothing will go wrong until the transfer to headquarters near the end of August.

Still in a foul mood Dumbledore banished the pieces of his work back to his personal quarters to deal with them later. And with that he began to finalize the details of the end of year feast and exams currently taking place for younger years.

* * *

Harry had spent the three weeks since the end of term brooding. Three weeks since the battle in the DOM. Since Sirius, his godfather, died.

Ever since Dumbledore had revealed the Prophecy to him, Harry had been re-evaluating his life. And the results had not been pleasant.

In first year when Harry came face to face with Voldemort in front of an extremely rare magical artifact that Dumbledore just happened to explain the function of before using it to protect the stone. And then the story about passing the owl mid-air. What was he doing flying? Harry had seen Dumbledore make a portkey into the headmaster's office just weeks ago so why hadn't he simply made one to take him back to the castle? And the troll? Wards were invented for a reason and repelling undesirable creatures is one of them.

And then second year contained the whole Chamber of Secrets fiasco. Even in the wizarding world there are only a handful of creatures that can petrify their victims, and with the legend taken into account the answer is obvious enough for second year students to find the answer. Dumbledore even sent his familiar to assist Harry during his battle against the Basilisk. Saving Dobby was the only good that came of the entire event.

Third year when Dumbledore refused to help free Sirius and Wormtail escaped. Fourth year he agreed with the Ministry of Magic, breaking his own rule about underage wizards, to force Harry to compete in the tournament.

And then at the end when he had tied with Cedric, they had been whisked away to the grave yard. To live through the rebirth of Voldemort and return to Hogwarts, only to be called a liar. And then the catastrophe that was this year. Occlumency lessons with Snape were bound to end badly as the mutual hatred grew and no explanation in what occlumency really is or how it can help shield the mind.

And then... Sirius died. And all the clues pointed back to the person everyone is told to trust. The one person who controlled all of the information. Albus Dumbledore.

Ever since his parents had been killed, maybe even before, Harry's life had been dictated be the meddling old fool. He had begun early by placing him with relatives who hated him, making him grateful to his rescuers and easy to mold to their whims. His first letters from Hogwarts were proof that at least someone in the castle knew of his living conditions.

Since the moment Harry had re-entered the magical world, Dumbledore had sent his most devoted followers to indoctrinate him to the light. He had started by sending Hagrid to fill his head with tales of Gryffindor courage and Slytherin evils. Grindelwald didn't even attend Hogwarts and still has a higher body count than Voldemort could dream of despite his best efforts. The Weasley's at the train station with Molly calling out blatantly magical terms trying to find the portal to not only her own old school, but the school she had already put 5 of her children in and 2 had already graduated.

'Hell', Harry thought, 'the old man probably even set it up so I'd be rivals with Draco, who happens to be the most bigoted Slytherin of them all.'

No Harry was done letting Dumbledore and the Order think for him. From now on he would be the only one making decisions about his life. And Harry was going to be changing everything.

* * *

Over these last few weeks Harry had come to an understanding of sorts. Simply put, he was weak.

After witnessing the duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore in the Ministry Atrium, Harry had re-calculated his chances of survival and had not been pleased with the outcome. Harry knew that if it came down to a duel, at his current level, he would lose. By fighting with the limitations Dumbledore imposed Harry knew that they would lose the fight. With Order members stunning and Death Eaters being revived just to return killing curses, it was only matter of time before the Order was drastically outnumbered if they weren't already.

What Harry needed was time. Time in which to train and learn the skills he would need to defeat both Voldemort and Dumbledore. Although his fight against Dumbledore would be drastically different than the battle with Voldemort.

For Voldemort, Harry would need to delve into the innermost workings of magic. He would need to learn spells that would prevent his opponents from getting back up once downed. In other words he needed to study the Dark Arts.

Dumbledore would probably be the harder of the two to fight against as Harry planned for that to happen in the political arena. The first step there would be to remove any and all legal hold the elder wizard may have over him.

For this part one thing Harry realized he needed was to be in charge of himself. He needed his emancipation. Harry smiled at that. He could get the Dursley's to sign anything he put in front of them.

In the time since he had returned from school he had only seen any of his relatives as he walked down to grab a little bit of food from the refrigerator, or in the hallway leading to the toilet.

The threats his uncle had received at the train station had more of an impact than Harry initially thought they would. Each time the other occupants of the house saw him they flinched slightly and scurried away as if he carried the plague.

His stomach growled and Harry frowned. Even at Hogwarts when the food was plentiful Harry had never had this much of an appetite. Since arriving at #4 Harry had found himself increasingly dissatisfied with the meager morsels that had provided for him.

But right now Harry couldn't go down to pilfer food. He had already eaten that day and didn't want to have to go anywhere near his realities if it could be avoided. What he craved now was a full on Hogwarts feast. The house elves down in the kitchens were only matched by Mrs. Weasley, but only just.

House elves…Dobby! Harry sat up on his bed where he had chosen to lie after his last meal. Dobby would be able to provide him with all the food he needed as well as being able to move around more freely than Harry could at the moment.

He stood up not knowing if his idea would work and looked over to one of Dudley's old clocks on the wall. It was ten to three in the afternoon, plenty of time. In a somewhat apprehensive he called out, "Dobby?"

Seconds later the excitable little elf popped right in front of Harry with an audible crack, knitted hats wobbling. "Harry Potter sir!" Dobby exclaimed while launching himself at Harry's knees, "You is calling for Dobby?"

Carefully extricating himself from the small creature he said, "Yes Dobby, I was wondering if you would like to work for me."

Dobby's tennis ball sized eyes went wide with excitement. "Oh yes, Harry Potter sir! Dobby was to wait till yous was of age so he could make the request, and then yous dose it for Dobby!"

Harry frowned at this. Wait till he was of age to do what? "What do you mean Dobby?"

With a confused look on his face Dobby asked, "Yous is not knowing?"

"Knowing what?" Harry asked.

"It is being impolite to ask a wizard to form the bond while they are being underage. The magic's of Hogwarts can sustain the elves that work for her but it is not the proper bond wes is needing. A house elf gets its magic from the one it is bound to serve. The more magic the master has the more magic for the elf and the longer the elf's life. Without the bond and the magic's elf's whither and dies. Dobby is thinking he could live for 2 years if he stopped working at Hogwarts and didn't find a new master to bond."

Harry was dumbstruck. Finally the entirety of house elf enslavement made sense. The elf gained almost as much as the wizard did. He made up his mind. Hermione would probably be furious him when she found out, but surprisingly Harry didn't care.

"Dobby, if you would agree I would like to bond you. The only problem is I have no idea how to do it."

Dobby squealed in excitement. "Thank you Harry Potter sir! And for the bond do not worry. It is the elf's job to do but the wizard needs to be willing."

"Ok then Dobby you may begin." Harry said a little uncertainly as the elf's eyes had started to turn silver.

Then in a deeper voice than Harry had ever heard from the small creature, Dobby began chanting in a language Harry did not understand. Dobby snapped his fingers and Harry's shirt vanished as he felt himself freeze in place, not able to move.

Stepping forward Dobby traced seven small runes onto Harry's chest with his forefinger. Dobby stepped back still chanting and traced the same runes over his own bald head after knocking his hats off.

With a final snap of his fingers Dobby stopped chanting and the place where the runes had been drawn flashed a deep navy blue before fading from sight.

All through the process Harry kept one thing in mind: the wizard must be willing. Now at the completion nearly 7 seconds after it had begun, Harry felt something shift and magic flow out of him into Dobby. A new awareness bloomed that wasn't there before. Not detailed but just enough to know that Dobby existed.

Blinking rapidly Harry looked at the elf that was now swaying slightly on the spot with a huge smile across his face. He looked positively drunk.

"Dobby?" Harry asked tentatively as he pulled his shirt back on from where it had been lying behind him. While not sure of exactly what happened, he knew the bond had worked and was worried by the strange expression on the elf's face.

Upon hearing his name Dobby seemed to come around as he began to talk. "Master Harry, you is hungry. Dobby will get you food."

With that Dobby popped away and back again with almost no time in between, a platter filled with enough food for three people to eat.

Harry sat and began devouring the meal in front of him. Even though he wanted answers he was too hungry to pass up the food. The bonding ritual had taken a lot out of him.

Harry was about to ask how Dobby knew he was hungry when an enormous eagle carrying and envelope flew through his open window. Harry detached the letter from the proud looking eagle's leg and stared at the large seal affixed to the parchment.

Gringotts. Harry recognized the symbol of the wizarding bank even though he hadn't actually been in the building since the summer before third year.

Unlike all the letters Harry had received from Ron, Hermione, and various other Order members that had all been various renditions of how are you doing after your godfather died, Harry found himself interested in why the bank would be sending him a letter. He quickly opened it noting that the eagle that had delivered it took off not waiting for a response.

_Dear Mr. Potter_

_In regards to the last Will and Testament of Sirius Orion Black you are henceforth requested to make an appearance within the next week to fulfill one of the terms listed within. At that time you shall also be asked to deal with a small matter left to you by one Nichols Flamel._

_May your gold always flow,_  
_Rocksplitter_

Harry sat there stunned as tears slid down his face. Sirius. Harry's resolve to learn to fight hardened further as he set the letter down.

He turned to Dobby and asked, "Can you get me to Diagon alley?"

Dobby squirmed seeming reluctant but answered, "Yes Harry Potter sir, but you is not wanting to do it as it is not good for any wizard."

"Dobby, I don't care about comfort all that much I just need to get to Gringotts either tonight of tomorrow morning at the latest."

"Then wes is going tomorrow after yous is rested and prepared as the elf transport is painful for the wizard"

Harry nodded and went back to his meal when a thought occurred to him and he asked, "How did you know I was hungry before?"

"It is being the bond, Harry Potter sir. A house elf is needing to know what the master wants if they is to serve properly."

Pondering this new bit of information Harry quickly finished his meal. He would need to spend almost all day in the Alley to get all of the things he might need.

As Harry stood up he took note of his growing exhaustion with plans for the next day swimming through his mind. With a mumbled warning to Dobby to remain unseen by the Dursley's and the Order, Harry stumbled over to his small bed and fell into the land of dreams and nightmares.


	2. Chapter 2: The Alley Part 1

Chapter 2: The Alley Part 1

If You Seek Beneath Our Floors…

* * *

Harry woke slowly with the feel of parchment underneath his face. Confused Harry sat up and put on his glasses to look at what he had been lying on. It seemed to have been written by a child just learning write. 'Or a house elf with a message' Harry thought as he began to read the note.

_Dobby is needing to go somewhere else for now so he is not getting Master in trouble. The man with the swivel eye is watching yous from the bush across the street under a cloak of hiding. Dobby is returning when he is going away._

'Ah,' Harry thought to himself, 'it's time to pay our dear friend Mad-Eye a visit.'

With that Harry changed out of his cloths from yesterday and glanced over to the clock on his rickety old nightstand. It was currently half past nine meaning he had been asleep for almost eighteen hours. No wonder he felt so good, he hadn't been able to get more than five hours of sleep since Sirius had died.

Harry dressed quickly and walked down the stairs and out the front door as if making his way to the park. As he walked he listened for the telltale 'thunk' of Mad-Eye's fake leg hitting the pavement. Harry turned the corner at the end of Privet drive and bent down, grabbed a fist sized rock, and straightened.

He continued walking down the street until he heard Mad-Eye come around the corner behind him. The moment Harry was sure Mad-Eye was behind him the turned as fast as he could bring his arm around throwing the rock towards the sound.

He was rewarded a moment later with a loud 'thwack' as the rock connected with Moody's fake leg, sending it clattering to the ground.

Moody fell forward with a yell, invisibility cloak sliding off. Harry ran over to the grizzled ex-auror scooped up the invisibility cloak and stuffed it into his pocket. He then retrieved the false leg and carried it over to the now cursing older wizard.

Harry quickly helped Moody reattach his leg as he growled, "Boy, you've got some nerve attacking me, but I must admit it was effective. How did you know I was there?"

Harry smiled at that and decided to tell at least part of the truth. "I heard you walking behind me and as I couldn't see who was making all the noise I decided it was best to attack now and ask questions later. It's not paranoia if they actually are out to get you. And now that I know you're here you might as well stay, but could you do something about your eye?"

Moody grunted and grabbed the rock that Harry had used to knock his leg off and transfigured it into a large bowler hat. He then positioned it so the brim was just covering his eye and said, "I wouldn't need this here hat if you gave me back my cloak, but then going around talking to one's self never looks good. We might as well talk, but not until we make it to that park up ahead. No one but you ever goes there anymore."

Confused as to why that would be Harry was about to ask when another more important question popped into his head. "Moody, why were you able to do that transfiguration without repercussions from the Ministry?"

Moody laughed, "Kid the Ministry tracks magic two ways; large accidental magic in muggle areas, and tracking wand use for minors. The area charm is mostly used to help find muggle born witches and wizards so they can be registered with both Hogwarts and the Ministry, although it can also pick up on things like your little mishap with your aunt before your third year. It doesn't work in highly magical areas though because the ambient magic's give out constant readings. Places like Hogwarts, St. Mungo's, and Diagon Alley are all impossible to get readings on. The other way is by tracking wands. Places like Ollivander's are required by law to put the Ministry tracking charms in their creations. It puts out a pulse every time a spell is cast with that wand, but the spell is made to break when the person buying it turns seventeen. Only a few shady places in the back of Knockturn Alley might make wands without the charms, but even then it's unlikely because doing so is a heavy fine and a ticket on the next ferry trip to Azkaban."

Harry thought over this new information as they neared the park and then asked, "So a pure-blood or half-blood using their parents' wand inside a highly magical home wouldn't be expelled for underage magic?"

Moody chuckled, "Right in one, Lad. It's another of the bigoted laws passed to keep muggle-borns a lower class. On the other hand there are some like the Weasley's who obey the law and ignore the loopholes, but they are an overwhelming minority."

Now reaching the park they made their way over to a bench near a small copse of trees.

"So Harry," Moody began, "what is it that you wanted to talk about badly enough that you decided to start throwing stones around?"

Harry drew in a deep breath and said,"Voldemort. What is he doing? What is the Order doing? Why is Fudge still in office? And Moody what were you doing lurking in the bushes across the street from my house?"

Blinking in surprise Moody began, "We'll start at the top of the list you got there as the answers get longer as they the list goes on. As far as anyone knows Voldemort is currently lying low. From what Snape is reporting, you dealt him one hell of a blow at the Ministry because he's been taking several strong restorative potions a day. As for the Order, that's none of your business and for now it's going to stay that way. Fudge is managing to keep his job for now only because of the money he began tossing around once forced to admit Voldemort was back. If you ask me though, he won't last much longer even with his money."

"Now," Moody fixed Harry with a cold glare out of his normal eye and shifted the hat so his magical eye could be seen pointing directly at him, "how did you know I was hiding in the bushes?"

Not about to back down now Harry responded, "After a while you learn to know when someone is watching you, and where they are watching from."

Moody nodded, "Good. Constant Vigilance. Always know your surroundings, that skill may very save your life one day. As for why I was there, that should be obvious. You've got at least one Order member watching you around the clock, just in case something goes wrong."

Moody pulled an odd looking battered pocket watch out clicked it open and studied the tiny revolving planets for a moment. "Sorry kid, but I've got to go. Guard changes soon and I have to get back to headquarters. Oh and Potter I'll be needing my cloak back. Those things don't exactly grow on trees and demiguise are not easy to come by these days."

Smiling sheepishly Harry took Moody's cloak out of his pock to hand it back. As he did so he looked closer and noticed that it seemed slightly opaque in places and not nearly as effective as his own. Passing it back to Mad-Eye Harry asked, "What is this invisibility cloak made of?"

Moody took it with a grunted, "Demiguise hair, roughly twenty years of use I'd guess. The hair loses some of its power with age."

"Alright, well then I'll see you around, Mad-Eye. Take care of yourself." Hairy said with a wink, "You can't really afford to lose any more of your limbs now can you?"

Moody responded with a bark of laughter, "Too true, Potter, I'll see you later." And then he disappeared with a crack.

With all he had learned from Moody still in his mind, Harry set off back to Privet Drive.

Only when he got back to his room and saw Dobby waiting there with a large tray of food did Harry remember what his original plan for today had been. Harry thanked Dobby for the food and quickly dug in. He hadn't realized it before but he was ravenously hungry and within a matter of minutes had cleared the tray brought to him by the elf.

Now done with his meal he turned to Dobby and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Dobby is being ready Master Harry, but he is warning you again that for an elf to transport a wizard is very painful for the wizard." Dobby replied looking quite anxious.

"I'll be fine, Dobby, I just need to make it to Gringotts." Harry said as he once more glanced towards one of Dudley's old clocks. It was a quarter after ten in the morning. '_I need to get a watch…and some cloths. Scratch that I need all new cloths._

"Then Dobby is taking you." The elf said with true zeal in his voice as Harry reached over and scooped up one of his cousin's old hats and dropped the brim down to cover his scar as he decided it would not help if he was seen by either the Order or Death Eaters while out shopping.

With that done, Harry took Dobby's outstretched hand and they vanished with a 'pop'.

* * *

The first thing about elf transport that Harry became aware of was the pain. It felt like he was once again a punching bag for his cousin and his gang, just as he had been all those years ago. Next came the feeling akin to that of a portkey, but pulling in every direction all at once.

And then, it stopped.

Harry blearily glanced around and noticed that they had appeared in a small gap between two buildings almost right in front of Gringotts.

Dobby looked at Harry in concern. "Dobby is hurting Master Harry! Dobby is a bad elf!"

Before anything could happen, Harry reached down and grabbed the elf's arm and said, "No, Dobby, you did exactly what I asked of you. You told me it would hurt and I agreed to it anyways, so it is not your fault at all Dobby. Why don't you go back to my room and wait for me there. I will call you when I am ready to return but it will certainly be a while."

The elf nodded and popped away without saying anything further, so Harry straightened, checked that his hat was in place, and set off towards the bank.

As he passed through the first set of doors he looked up at the inscription that had so captured his attention all those years ago when he had first entered the bank with Hagrid.

**_Enter stranger, but take heed_**

**_Of what awaits the sin of Greed_**

**_For those who take, but do not earn,_**

**_Must pay dearly in their turn._**

**_So if you seek beneath our floors_**

**_A treasure that was never yours,_**

**_Thief you have been warned, beware_**

**_Of finding more than treasure there._**

The saying still filled Harry with a sense of anticipation and nervousness. Hagrid had been right, you'd have to be mad to try and steal from the goblins.

Harry walked up to the first available goblin and started, "I was told to come to handle some business regarding the Will of Sirius Black."

The goblin stared at Harry for a long moment before nodding its head and saying, "Yes Mr. Potter, we have been expecting you. Follow me."

The goblin got up from his chair behind the elevated desk and headed towards a long hallway leading out of the lobby. Harry stayed close to the little creature, not wanting to get lost as they made several sharp turns and descended three flights of stairs into more hallways that seemed to be made from bedrock rather than the white marble up above.

"This way please, Mr. Potter." The goblin said, direction him to a door with a golden plaque next to it inscribed with runes above the word inheritance.

Stepping through the doorway, Harry looked around at the runes carved into almost every square inch of the rock walls. In the middle of the room was a dark wooden desk, clear of everything except a large piece of parchment and what appeared to be a black stone pensive.

There were two black stone chairs on either side of the desk, one which was clearly meant for him. The other was already occupied.

The goblin sitting on the other side of the desk was clearly both older and higher ranking than the one that had lead Harry through the warren hallways. With a gesture from the elder goblin the younger one bowed and left the room as quickly as he could without running.

Slowly at first and with a deep, gravelly voice the elder goblin spoke, "Greetings, Harry Potter. I am Rocksplitter, manager of inheritance. Our first order of business today involves the Last Will and Testament of one Sirius Orion Black. After that, things get more complicated. We shall start with the basics; confirming identity. You will need to place seven drops of your blood into the basin to begin."

Slightly bewildered Harry asked, "Why do you need my blood?"

Rocksplitter murmured something in a language Harry assumed was Gobbledygook before returning to English, "Because blood never lies. It cannot hide who you are, nor would it want to. This basin shows your ancestry by means of blood."

With that Rocksplitter drew a curved silver dagger with an ornate obsidian handle and passed it over to Harry. Feeling only slightly concerned now that he had an explanation, Harry held his left hand over the basin with the knife in his right. He made a slender cut across the middle of his palm, letting seven drops fall from his hand.

As soon as the last drop hit, the cut across his hand healed and all the excess blood on the knife vanished.

"Good." Rocksplitter said, "Now we shall see who you are."

The parchment next to the basin glowed in swirling patterns blue, silver, and gold before clearing with one name at the bottom. Harry James Potter.

Before Harry could read any more, it was snatched away as Rocksplitter said, "You are who you claim to be. Very well, we have work to do about Mr. Potter, and it is best not to delay."

With that Rocksplitter turned and walked out of the office with Harry, shoving down a longing to know his ancestry, trailing behind.

They reached what seemed to be the appropriate door, because Rocksplitter stopped and entered a much smaller but infinity more welcoming office.

Only once he was seated in a comfortable looking armchair did Rocksplitter resume his monolog. "We prevent all who come here from stopping to study the family trees by necessity as if we did allow it, they would never leave. Now, for reading of the Will of Sirius Black."

_I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound mind and body and of my own free will do ordain this to be my Last Will and Testament._

_To my dear friend and last of the true Marauders, Remus John Lupin, I leave 100,000 galleons, as well as my family home in London. He will know the one. Take care Moony and be ready for a romp like the good old days when we meet again._

_To my beloved godson, Harry James Potter, I leave all of my remaining worldly possessions. This includes all Black estates and holdings. I also pass on to you, as is my right, the title of Lord Black, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, in the hopes that you will be a better lord than I was. I am sorry that I'm not there for you, pup, but I'll rest easy knowing that I've done what I could to help you while not being there._

Harry let his tears role down his face as it really hit him. Sirius was gone and was not going to be there for him anymore. The one adult that he could be absolutely sure was looking out for his best interest and that would do everything in his power to help him, no matter what. Harry's resolve hardened. No more tears. He would become strong and win this fight, no matter what.

Rocksplitter coughed and began, "Mr. Potter before you accept the position of Lord Black there are a few things you should be aware of. The total estimated value of the Black holdings is equivalent to 1.3 billion galleons, not including any magical artifacts held within the family vault. All of the old marriage contracts with the Black family were declared null when Sirius was imprisoned so that removes one of the concerns. The other matter to clear up is that once a rightly named Lord Black takes up the ring of office the magic of the Black Flame must accept a new master before taking the mantle of Lord. I must warn you though, that should it reject you the consequences could be quite dire."

Harry wiped his eyes as he thought about it and then came to a decision. If Sirius wanted him to have it, he would accept. "I will take it, Rocksplitter."

The elder goblin nodded and from a drawer in the desk pulled out an ornately carved box with a Grim on the cover, proudly displaying the Black motto. He slid the box over to Harry who carefully lifted the lid and took in the heavy silver and obsidian ring within. It had a large black diamond that seemed to burn with an inner fire set into silver fittings that lined the sides of the obsidian band.

Harry took a deep breath and slid the ring onto his right middle finger. The first sensation Harry became aware of was a slight twitch in his mind, like when Snape had been performing legilimency during his occlumency lessons. The feeling grew until it felt like his head was going to explode as the foreign magic rifled through Harry's mind.

Then another feeling came into Harry's awareness, one of grudging acceptance. Then the pain moved to three separate, yet connected points. The center of his chest being the main point, feeling of liquid fire, the other two were in his eyes. All three pints flared once then settled back to a semblance of normalcy.

All of these sensations flew through him in less than a second, not giving Harry a chance to cry out, but as it finished Harry gasped in a breath and slumped back in his chair.

"Yes," Rocksplitter began, "I had a feeling that it would accept you, Lord Black. Although, I will tell you that in the century and a half I've been doing this, never has there been a Lord Black that evoked such a magnificent reaction from the fire as you have. Usually it is a simple spark, but you… you should probably get a look for yourself."

Rocksplitter pulled a mirror out of another of the desk drawers. Still reeling from what the ring had done, Harry slowly took the mirror from the goblin and stared, wide-eyed. His eyes were on fire. Not all of his eyes, just the pupils, but they seemed to be burning with intense silver-black flames.

While Harry was carefully examining his changed appearance, Rocksplitter said, "The Black Flames are first and foremost, cursed fire, so be careful as anything burnt by it will prove impossible to restore. They are an ancient thing that gave the line its name as it appears now. By all accounts any flame based spell you cast will now be of the Black Flame, but it is also a part of you and does not require a spell to bring it forth. It is controlled solely by the will of the Lord Black. Now it is time to head down to the Black family vaults before we continue with our other business.

Shaken from his contemplation Harry rose quickly and said, "Alright, Rocksplitter, lead the way."

Rocksplitter chuckled, "Lord Black, do I look like a clerk to you? No? Gutripper will be taking you down while I prepare our next piece of business."

With that Rocksplitter turned to a filing cabinet in the corner as a younger looking goblin stepped into the office and said' "Follow me Lord Black, I am to take you to your vault."


	3. Chapter 3: The Alley Part 2

Chapter 3: The Alley Part 2

A Gift from an Old Wizard

* * *

Harry followed Gutripper back through the warren of hallways past the main lobby to the mine carts that lead to the vaults. As the cart began accelerating Harry asked, "Can these carts go any faster?"

The only reply he received from the goblin was a feral grin as it pulled a lever and the cart shot forward into the dark. Harry felt a sense of exhilaration rise as the cart gained even more speed and the air in the tunnel ripped through his hair. The cart gas going faster than his Firebolt!

As they raced through the dark the thundering of an underground waterfall could be heard as well as the cries of the beasts used to guard the vaults.

As they began to slow Harry saw a flash of dragon fire from the tunnel up ahead. So the longstanding rumor about Gringotts using dragons to guard the high security vaults was true then.

The cart stopped at the beginning the tunnel and the goblin stepped out of the cart and, not waiting for Harry, took off down the passageway clanging a small metal device at his side.

As Harry scrambled to catch up with the goblin he noticed the dragon just coming into view was trying vainly to escape the noise. Harry wondered at this until he noticed the long slashes across the dragon's snout. It had been taught to fear the sound now coming from the metal device the goblin carried.

As utterly ruthless as the system was, Harry could also see how effective it could be. Anyone who tried to enter one of the vaults on this level without a goblin would become a target of the dragon's wrath.

As Harry caught up to the goblin he saw their destination. An enormous black gannet door carved with the Black Family crest and motto. As Harry inspected the carvings he noticed what looked like a hand print pressed into circle near the middle of the door that almost blended into the door.

"Place your hand in the circle on the door and it shall open for you, Lord Black." Gutripper instructed. "I shall stay nearby, there is a rope on the inside of that will let me know when you are ready to return to the surface."

Harry nodded, stepped forward and placed his palm on the circle. Instantly the ring on his hand pulsed and the door shuddered and quickly slid into the ceiling. As Harry stepped into the vault, torches all along the wall burst into life and the door slammed shut behind him.

He spun around panicked, thinking he was sealed in until he saw the same circle he had used to open the door on the inside as well. He took a calming breath and turned back around to face the contents of the vault.

Simply put it was massive. Galleons piled in huge mounds, jewels scattered across the floor, and shelves of what looked like enchanted jewelry as each had a card attached to it. Shelves of books from what looked like school texts to heavy yellowing tomes to ancient scrolls piled in a rack. And along the back wall were various other artifacts from furniture and exotic bits of animals to weaponry and torture devices.

Filled with awe at the vast wealth surrounding him Harry went to the pieces of enchanted jewelry so he could read what they did. The first few he passed were what he expected from the Black family with enchantments like a ring that when tapped against a cup turns the liquid inside to poison.

And then he came across a smooth dragon's fang earring like the one he had seen Bill wearing with enchantments much more to his liking.

The card read:  
_Made from Antipodean Opaleye, this fang was made to enhance reading speed and retention level. While in use it was discovered that it also assists in the learning processes of occlumency during the first phases. While a useful tool it is not recommended for continuous ware as it also opens a channel for legilimency to pass through any barriers around the mind._

Harry immediately snatched it up. This artifact would be invaluable for learning new spells and techniques. Harry picked it up and put it his pocket before continuing.

None of the other artifacts caught his attention so he left them where they were.

Near the end of the shelves were piles of old trunks, and glancing over to the bookshelf Harry decided to grab at least one to hold anything he decided to take from the vault.

He walked through the stacks until he found one that looked like it had been made of a dark red mahogany with the carving of a griffin carved into the top. It didn't have any visible hinges, but it had five different locks set into a pentagram underneath the griffin.

Harry found the key tied to one of the handles and opened the topmost lock to see what was inside.

The second Harry turned the key in the lock the carved griffin turned its head to look at him and then bowed its head slightly and trotted to a different side of the trunk. As soon as it left the top, a seam appeared and the trunk's newly uncovered lid sprang open.

A little concerned that the griffin may come back and slam the lid, Harry scanned what appeared to be a large warehouse. It seemed to be filled with old furniture and building materials of every kind and even had a ladder to get from the opening down onto the floor. On the first rung was a letter apparently left there for the next person to use it to find. It read:

_Like all true Black trunks, this one is spelled to only open for its one true owner. Unlike the others it does so in several unique ways. First is blood recognition. If this trunk does not have a current owner then only the Lord Black will be able to gain accesses due to the Guardian spell placed upon it. To become the owner of this trunk requires both the consent of the Lord Black and for the blood of the owner to be given freely to the griffin in order to complete the blood wards._

Harry though it over for a complete two seconds before deciding he would take it. If any of the other compartments were even remotely like this one, the trunk would be absolutely perfect. He closed the lid, watched it seal and waited for the griffin to return to its post.

He didn't have long to wait until the majestic creature strode back into view, still watching him. Harry, realizing he needed something to draw blood with, went back to the shelf of artifacts and retrieved a silver dagger. He had seen it earlier but as the phrase ritual blades hadn't meant much to him at the time and he had passed over it without much thought. Now however, it was exactly what he was looking for.

Returning to the trunk Harry carefully drew the knife across the palm of his left hand and quickly pressed it onto the top of the trunk. Not knowing where the blood needed to be, he smeared his hand all over the top to make sure he did it right.

When Harry lifted his hand the trunk pulsed emerald-green and the blood vanished and shrunk down into a tiny figurine of a griffin. Harry frowned at that, how was he supposed to use his trunk when he didn't know how to use it, or even what all of the features were?

He picked up the small griffin and carried it over to the shelves of books and set it back on the ground. Thinking of how to get it open Harry tried tapping it with the key but nothing happened until he caked out, "Bloody well open already!"

As he finished the figure began to grow and change until it was back to trunk form.

Remembering he still had more to go over with Rocksplitter Harry decided to look through both the trunk and books later and just take them with him for now. And so he opened the first compartment back up and began loading the books in.

* * *

Almost two hours after entering the vault Harry found himself back at the entrance to the vault with a small griffin in his pocket. He had taken a peek outside the vault by opening it for a moment before he spotted the dragon again and made a hasty retreat to summon the goblin and make it back to the surface.

He pulled the rope that the goblin had told him about and waited. Two minutes later he could hear the sound of the small metal noise maker coming from outside the door. Harry opened the door again to see the goblin that had escorted him down gesturing to return to the cart.

After the customary ride on the tracks and a swift hike through the warren of hallways, Harry once again found himself in Rocksplitter's office. The only differences were the bottles of potion and the pensive with swirling memories on the desk.

"What is this for, Rocksplitter?" Harry asked. He was still a little uncertain about entering a pensive after the disaster with Snape.

"In a moment Mr. Potter, there is something that I think you would like first." And with that he pulled a box from behind the desk and handed it to Harry, who in turn sat dumbfounded. The shield on the front with crossed sword and broom and a strange rune that looked like a circle inside of a triangle with a line down the middle bore the name he longed to know the most. His own.

The Potter family ring, as Harry saw when he opened the box, was a masterpiece. The ruby with black settings on the golden band completely captivated his attention for almost a full minute before Rocksplitter's voice broke him out if his trance.

"Because of your legal emancipation you are entitled to all of your hereditary positions. But remember that the emancipation is legal but doesn't break your ministry tracking charms as they only dissipate when you turn seventeen. I have taken the liberty of going over your accounts looking for your parents will, but so far have come back with nothing so it may be a while before I find anything. The family ring is yours, with the same restrictions as were on the Black ring, but differed magic assigned to it. While not recorded with Gringotts it is generally accepted that the Potter ring unlocks the full potential of an animagus. This is included in the search for forms, allowing for more than one, and partial transformations. Partial transformations allow for a wizard to take on characteristics of their animal in their true form, like having the fur of the animal covering the human shape."

Harry thought about this for a minute before deciding that after occlumency, becoming an animagus would be next on his list. It could be an invaluable method for escape or stealth, especially if no one knew about his ability. It would also be a way of honoring the memories of both Sirius and his father.

"The last of the Potter business we have to take care of before putting on the ring is the matter of your parents will. While you were gone I checked our records, and found the will missing although we have documentation of receiving it. I will continue looking into the issue, but in the meantime, this is the same letter that is given to all Lord Potters before they take the ring." Rocksplitter said handing him a very rumpled old scroll and handed it to Harry.

His curiosity peaked Harry took the parchment and unrolled it and began to read the short note.

_The Three Gifts of Death; the wand of Elder, the stone of Resurrection, and the cloak of Invisibility. Seek the stone and wand, as the cloak will bow only to those of my decent. Recover these and prevent them from being used as they have before my death as tools of brutal murder. Take them and return them to where my brothers and I received them for crossing the five rivers of the underworld._

_-Ignotus Peverell _

At the bottom of the scroll was the same symbol Harry had seen on the Potter crest. Deciding to put the matter out of his mind for now Harry turned his attention back to the Potter ring.

"The family rings, if put on the same finger and the rings will merge yet they will still show the crests of both houses, signifying that you are a twice blessed lord." Rocksplitter said.

Harry took a deep breath and slid the ring on his finger next to the Black ring. When they touched, they shot together and blurred until settling back onto his finger.

The newly formed Potter-Black ring had a silver flecked obsidian band leading to the golden setting in which the ruby and black diamond were intertwined in a style resembling that of a yin-yang. Each half had its crest etched into the stone and blazed with life.

Harry was once again jerked out of his introspection be the gravelly voice of Rocksplitter, "As Lord of the Potter family you have full accesses to all of the Potter vaults. At this time there are three; your trust vault, the family vault, and the vault dedicated to the search. But while I do recommend going through your vaults, we have other business that should be taken care of first. This is for you from Nicolas Flamel."

Harry took the offered envelope. It was made of a very heavy silvery parchment, and was sealed with red wax in a very complicated pattern he could only describe as runes on a triangle in hexagon in a circle made from two dragons eating each other's tail. And that was only the basic shape as it was filled with other repeating lines and different runic symbols. It was entirely baffling how such an image could be preserved in wax, even with magic. Wanting to know what the extremely old alchemist could want with him, Harry opened the letter and began to read.

_September 12, 1992_

_Dear Harry,_

_It has been a little more than four months since the incident involving my philosopher's stone. Although you don't remember it as you were in a magically induced comma at the time, I visited you while you were in the hospital wing. I took the time to get to know you Harry from your very memories themselves, and learned of the burdens that will face you in future. This letter, if my instructions are followed, will be given to you at the next time you enter Gringotts or at the very latest before your sixteenth birthday. I have much to tell you, Harry, and would be honored if you would drink the dark red potion that will have been brought up for you and then join my memory in the pensive._

_Sincerely,_

_Nicolas Flemel_

At this point Harry was very conflicted. Both wanting to know what the old alchemist had in store for him, and mildly violated that he had sifted through his memories. In the end he decided t see whatever had been prepared for him.

Glancing up at Rocksplitter, Harry explained, "I'm to take the red potion and then enter the pensive."

The feral grin Harry received in return was slightly unnerving especially after Rocksplitter said, "Good, I am eager to see what changes this little escapade will bring. Most of my days are not nearly so exciting Lord Potter-Black. This is a day to remember I think."

"Trouble just finds me." Harry murmured as he downed the sweet-smelling red potion. And with the last drops gone Harry leaned over and put his face into the pensive.

* * *

The feeling of falling face first into the shallow bowl was quickly replaced be solid ground, or at least as solid as a memory can be.

As Harry looked around he noticed the person he thought to be Nicolas Flamel sitting it what looked like a beach chair in muggle shorts and flowery button up shirt partly covered in a long white beard and a woven straw hat covering his face.

And then Harry heard the voice.

_"Hello Harry. It's nice to actually say that to you while you're conscious even if at the time I'm mumbling into air."_

At this point Nicolas looked up right into Harry's eyes with great intensity. Harry flinched away from the brown orbs that seemed to have pierced into his very soul. Looking into them, Harry felt like he was facing a giant rather than an old man several inches shorter than he was. The knowledge contained within was almost a force that could be felt.

_"Since you are in fact here that means I am dead. My last few months have been well spent on some beach in a place I think the natives call Hawaii relaxing with Perenelle preparing for our passing. One of the things we discussed over this time was the task of finding a suitable person to pass on our legacy to. There were only two people who we even seriously considered for this, our gift. In the end we chose a different option than we had originally planned. Most of our possessions and a good portion of our inventions were given away or sent to research institutes around the world. There was only a small part that was set aside for a single person. The one that would become our heir, even if it was to be in an unofficial manner. _

As Nicolas was speaking the overwhelming presence that had first assaulted Harry had been retreating to the point that when he finished he was able to look at the old man once more. It still felt like drowning in a pool of knowledge, but now at least the feeling was manageable. Then Nicolas began again.

_The things we left for you, Harry, began with the red potion you took before entering the pensive. It was a small dose of the Elixir of Life. A dose this small is not enough to extend your life any but it will heal your body and magic and bring it to what it should have been had you not been locked in a cupboard for ten years. Unfortunately it will not be able to completely remove the curse held within your scar, which you will need to destroy from within your mind once you have mastered occlumency. The other potion prepared for you is the thirteenth use of dragon's blood with the creation of the stone being the fourteenth."_

As he said this the green potion Harry had seen before entering the pensive appeared on an end table that hadn't been there a moment before.

_"During my work with Dumbledore I only let on about the first twelve as the last two are significantly more powerful and dangerous than the others. It is a potion that melds the drinker's powers with that of the dragon whose blood was used. In a way it is similar to a partial animagus transformation, but this has far more potential. This particular brew was made from the last of my stores of blood from the Great Dragons, the ancestors of all serpents, great and small. This will do several things for you, but at this point I will only tell you three of the effects. The first change is in the eyes, it will make them sharper and you will be able to see farther than any man and you will never have to wear glasses again. The second is the magical resilience of dragon hide is transferred to the skin. It does not gain any of the physical properties, but it is still an invaluable advantage in a duel. The last is the changing of the blood from human to draconic."_

Here Nicolas began gesturing around and Harry first took notice of his surroundings. They were in fact on a beach near the ocean, but it was the dragons all around that were truly captivating. There were ten dragons, all of different age and species along the beach. He began to study one that reminded Harry of Norbert before having his attention called back to the one sided conversation he was having with a dead man.

_"With the magic of the dragons flowing within, blood magic and rituals become incredibly more powerful. Your blood can also be used in the creation of magical foci, be it wand or staff. That is all I will share with you for now, Harry, you will have to work to uncover the rest yourself. The last thing we will leave to you is the Forest of Emrys and the tower of Twilight within. This is the forest of Merlin and the place he moved the lines of power once people began to abuse his creation of Stonehenge. It is there that we have left you knowledge and the means of learning. Use our gifts to help you fulfill the prophecy that you face ahead. I know your heart and soul, Harry, and I know that as long as there is a way you will never give in. Take care, Harry, and I will see you on the other side."_

And with that the memory ended and Harry felt himself being dragged upwards, out of the pensive.

* * *

**AN: Just a few things here; first up, I love reviews. They are proof that people are not only reading, but taking their time to respond and provide feedback to help improve the quality of my writing. The thing to keep in mind though is that this is my first fanfic so it's not going to be perfect and not everyone who reads it will find it to their liking. In cases like these if you don't like it just move on and don't bother me with shit like that; especially if you're going to review as a guest. Other than that I have my first AP test tomorrow government and politics so wish me luck.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Alley Part 3

Chapter 4: The Alley Part 3

The Flames of Sorrow

* * *

As Harry tumbled out of the pensive he tripped over his ratty, overlarge trainer and fell heavily into the chair he had been using before the trip into the pensive. He heard Rocksplitter laugh as he adjusted his position before looking up at the goblin.

"One last thing and then our business for today will be complete." Rocksplitter said and then got up from the desk and went to an intricate carving in the wall. He began muttering in Gobbledygook and pushed in a small knob that flashed blue before a loud click was heard. Rocksplitter reached his long fingers into a very small drawer that that had only a moment before had been decretive looking ax handle.

From within he took a small fang on a silver chain that had been carved with hundreds of tiny runes both in the fang and the chain. He turned towards Harry and said, "This is the key to the forest of Emrys given to me by the late Nicolas Flamel with instructions for it to be given to you after the pensive viewing. It will guide you through the wards surrounding the place that no one has been able to find for centuries. Even at the time of Merlin when it was known as the Druid Wood people were unsure of where it was and even the name was dismissed as mere speculation. I only know as much as I do about it because I was told by Nicolas when he entrusted this duty to me."

He handed Harry the pendant, memories, and the emerald green potion saying, "That concludes our business for today Lord Potter-Black. I will contact you once more if anything is found about your parents will."

"One more thing, Rocksplitter, is there a way to access my gold without having to return to Gringotts every time I need more money?"

"There is indeed such a thing. It is a money bag that is linked to your vault, allowing you to withdraw or deposit gold at any time. It will only move the gold though, so do not try pushing objects through it." Rocksplitter explained drawing a black pouch out his desk and continuing, "It requires a blood bond so that only you will be able to take gold from within. Just state the amount of money you want and it will appear inside."

Harry stood up feeling exhausted. He quickly un-shrunk his trunk and placed his newest treasures inside. Maybe it would be a good idea to go back to the Dursley's to sleep and finish his business in Diagon Alley tomorrow. He frowned then he also felt slight pain from all of his bones, like what taking skele-gro had felt like but less intense.

"Thank you for all of your assistance today, Rocksplitter." Harry said thinking about how Dobby would probably force feed him when he returned. Surprisingly Harry was looking forward to just that, a meal and a log rest.

Rocksplitter laughed at that. "Lord Potter-Black, even you would normally only rate high enough for one of my senior clerks. It was with a bit of coin on the part of Nicolas that he was able to entice me into seeing to you myself." A feral smile played across his face as he began to lead Harry back to the main hall. "I am now the second richest goblin in the London clan, only second to Ragnok. As the second wealthiest in our clan I am also second in charge and there are many other perks that go with my new position. You and Nicolas have made me very rich Lord Potter-Black."

Harry thought about that for a while in silence. It did make sense in a way for the goblin society to be based in gold. Then another thought struck him and he asked, "Rocksplitter, why do you call Nicolas by his name and not by his title like you do for me?"

"The answer to that is simple; because he asked me to. He has been a friend of my house for centuries and I respect his wishes." Rocksplitter said.

While Harry took in this small piece of information he realized something about Rocksplitter that was different from almost every other goblin Harry had ever spoken to. Rocksplitter did not harbor any of the resentment or grudges that had been so prevalent in others of his race. As he thought about it he guessed that it must have come from long years of having good relations with a certain very old wizard who probably knew the goblins culture inside and out. With that thought Harry took a breath and said, "Then Rocksplitter, call me Harry."

Rocksplitter's eyes went wide and an enormous and slightly crooked smile appeared on the goblins face. "You realize that if I accept, Lord Potter-Black that I would become the manager of all of your vaults?"

Harry hadn't known that but he saw no problem with that as Rocksplitter had seemed alright to him. He didn't even know who the current manager of his vaults was. "Yes, Rocksplitter, do you accept?"

Smile never leaving his face Rocksplitter said, "Yes Harry, I would indeed be honored."

They arrived back in the main hall as a large metal clock in the middle of the hall struck two in the afternoon and he parted ways with Rocksplitter.

Thinking to change some of his money into pounds, Harry made his way over the exchange desk and drew a few galleons from his new bag. He made the exchange quickly and turned to leave.

Walking towards the entrance Harry called for Dobby. The little elf appeared next to him, immediately matching his pace towards the exits. "Dobby, I need you to get us back to my room at the Dursley's." Harry said as he reached out is hand for the elf to take.

Still seeming hesitant Dobby reached up without a word to grab Harry's hand and they vanished with a crack.

* * *

Harry arrived back in his room the same way he landed in the alley. The painful feeling of being ripped at from all directions was not something he was willing to experience for casual travel.

Harry thanked Dobby for his assistance and requested a meal to be ready on his return. He looked around for Hedwig and saw that her cage was empty so he guessed she was out hunting. Then Harry made his way downstairs to make an appearance for the watching Order members.

Not even bothering to acknowledge his realities who were watching a program on the telly, Harry made his way out the front door heading planning to go to a small play park a few blocks away.

Harry had only gone a block when he felt the eyes upon him. Not knowing which Order member would be tailing him today, he began trying to think of a way to find out. He decided to wait until he got to the park and then simply ask whoever it was to join him on a bench. Harry figured it might work, and if it didn't he would just go back and get some rest.

By the time Harry sat on the bench he was really feeling drained but determined to at least talk to his stalker before returning. "Why don't you come out from under the cloak and join me on the bench." Harry said, looking towards the area he thought his follower was likely to be.

He was rewarded for his efforts a moment latter when a muttered, "Bloody hell Harry! How'd you know I was there?" came out of the air. Seconds later Bill Weasley's face could be seen as he removed the invisibility cloak he had been wearing.

Harry just laughed and asked, "How's it going Bill?"

"Aside from being spotted under an invisibility cloak by a fifteen year old wizard?" Bill said as his face split in a grin, "Amazing, I just got engaged!"

"Congratulations!" Harry said as Bill sat down on the bench net to him. "When is the wedding?"

"We have it planned for next summer. Fleur is staying at the Burrow for the summer to get to know the family better. Things have been off to a bit of a rough start there but I think they'll warm to her soon enough." Bill said a little hopefully.

"I hope things go well for you Bill, but I'm going to have to cut it there. I didn't sleep well last night and I'm completely knackered. Tell Fleur I said hello." Harry said standing. A grin forced its way onto his face and he added, "And ask Mad-Eye about his last time on duty."

Not understanding Harry's comment, Bill stood as well and said, "I'll see you later this summer then Harry, and take care of yourself in there." Harry turned and started walking back to the Dursley's as Bill slipped the invisibility cloak back on.

When Harry returned he made his way up to his room and closed the door before sitting down to eat the meal Dobby had laid out for him. He ate quickly, clearing the platter before stumbling over to his bed dropping off to sleep fully clothed on top of the covers of his bed.

* * *

Harry woke to the feeling of the sun across his back and realized that he must have slept for longer than he thought he would. He looked to the old alarm clock that now read half past two. He frowned; it couldn't have been only a half hour, could it?

He sat up on his bed and called out, "Dobby?"

The little elf popped into the room and into the room and squeaked, "Master Harry! You is awake!"

"Dobby, how long have I been asleep?" Harry asked a little surprised by the elf's reaction.

"Yous has been sleeping for two days. Dobby tried to wake you once so you could eat, but your magic stopped Dobby before he could." Dobby looked a little ashamed at that.

Harry was about to thank Dobby for trying when a long strand of black hair fell in front of his face. It was longer than he remembered and as he reached up to feel it he realized just how different it was. His normally unruly hair now hung down just passed his shoulders.

While it was odd he hadn't really known what effects the Elixir of Life would have on him, so Harry quickly decided to get a haircut. Thinking on it now Harry hadn't had a haircut since he was… Harry frowned; it must have been before he went to Hogwarts so it must have been at least five or six years. He would have to look for something about it when he returned to the alley.

Returning the matter at hand Harry asked, "Has anyone from the order been around to check on me?" It had been two days since he had sent the note to the order telling them he was doing alright before he had fallen asleep.

"The brother of masters Weesey stopped in earlier today and then left when you was still sleeping."

This was good, that meant they were unlikely to try stopping in again today. Perfect time to do some much needed shopping.

"Dobby I need to get back to Diagon Alley today. I still have a lot of things I want to take care of before I find the Forest of Emrys and there are a few things I would like you to do for me. While I'm gone today, I want you to look through my new trunk and make a list of all the things that are inside." Harry took out the griffin and with a muttered; "Open" it sprang up into its trunk form.

A smile broke across the elf's face at the prospect of being able to clean such a massive space while cataloging the items within.

"I will need you to take me back to London today though Dobby. It's late in the afternoon and if I want to get all that I have planned done I will need all the time I can get. While I'm there I am going to find another way of getting home." Harry said and then looked around to see Hedwig's cage was still empty, but the water dish looked to have been emptied slightly. He figured she must have been in and left again.

"Dobby will do as the master wishes." The elf said still with the pleased smile on his face.

And with that Dobby reached out his hand for Harry to take and they popped away, only to appear in an alley on Charing Cross Road.

* * *

The moment he had recovered from the effects of the elf transportation, Harry left the alley in search of a place to get both a new wardrobe and a haircut. He decided to get his muggle shopping done first as with all the money he knew he possessed he would never wear one of Dudley's cast offs again.

He found a place to get his hair cut on the next block over, and twenty minutes later he left looking a good deal better than when he had entered. He had decided to cut his hair shorter than it had been and the effect was stunning. Instead of the unruly mop his hair usually impersonated, the windswept look now complemented his features and his scar was no longer covered by his hair. He would no longer hide who he was after this trip. Once he finished in Diagon Alley, his days of trying to deny who he was hide his appearance would be at an end. The only thing stopping him from reveling himself now was the potential the Order had to ruin his plans if they caught wind of what he was doing.

After his hair was taken care of Harry made his way over to a shop that seemed like a warehouse full of cloths. When he had asked the lady giving him his hair cut about places in the area that sold cloths she had recommended this place saying it would have absolutely everything he would need.

Walking through the doors he had to admit that she might be right. The place was enormous. Harry saw racks upon racks of clothing in all sizes, styles, and colors. Shaking himself Harry set about the task of finding new clothes.

* * *

Two hours later Harry emerged wearing new jeans and a dark green polo. He was slightly drained from the experience and found himself wondering how girls, both magical and mundane could actually enjoy the process. He had spent close to seven hundred pounds inside and had several large bags he was carrying at the moment.

It had been a good thing he had been wearing Dudley's old cloths rather than anything in his size in the beginning as Harry found he was several inches taller than he remembered. He now stood a respectable six feet tall. He would never be as tall as someone like Ron, but it was still better than being as short as he had been before.

Harry made his way back to Charing Cross Road and ducked into an empty alleyway to call for Dobby.

"Master is needing Dobby?" The elf asked popping in front of Harry with a small 'crack'.

"Can you take these back to my room for me Dobby?" Harry asked pulling out a dark hat from inside one of the bags.

"Yes master, Dobby is doing it." Dobby said quickly before popping away again.

Harry pulled the hat over his head, covering his scar and took a deep breath. The Alley would be difficult if anyone recognized him, but Harry did not intend to stay long.

Adjusting his hat again, Harry opened the door to the Leaky Caldron and stepped through. Not stopping to look around he made his way over to the back door and entrance to the Alley.

He tapped the pattern on the bricks and stepped into the trade center of magical London. It was more subdued than Harry remembered it. People who would have normally been so carefree now fingered wands hidden in pockets. It was not a drastic change, but an important one none the less.

The first thing Harry wanted now was finish any shopping that had to do with cloths and then never do it again. He fought himself for several seconds on whether or not to just stop by a second-hand store to avoid attention, or go to Madam Malkin's to get fitted. In the end he decided to get fitted rather than buy second-hand.

Harry entered the shop and going over to one of the assistants said, "Could you help me? My uncle accidentally set my wardrobe on fire the other day and all that made it was this set of muggle clothing, so I am going to need an entirely new one."

"I'd be happy help, follow me." She said, leading him over to a small stand with a magical measuring tape floating nearby.

The fitting didn't take all that long and Harry found out that Jasmine was a recent graduate of a magical school in Italy and was traveling around the world, spending a year in some of the countries she was visiting. This was to ensure that she got more of a taste of the language as well as the culture.

It was here that Harry asked, "How do you learn all the languages?"

Jasmine laughed at that and replied, "Sermo serum of course. It's a language potion that was originally made for travelers such as me a few hundred years ago when world tours were huge as a rite of passage. They're a huge source of income for potion masters who can brew them properly, and the rarer the language the more the cost. I think the apothecary down the street even has Aztec."

After that they talked a little about the places she was going to see as the fitting ended. Then they were on to the cloth. In the end Harry only left with a dark hooded cloak while the rest would be picked up tomorrow. He had gotten five pairs of normal cloaks for everyday use, three sets of work robes, and two new dress robes. One was a deep crimson with a golden phoenix on the back, the other was silver and black, more plain looking but with a pattern of flames around the edges.

He was about to head over to the apothecary when he realized that if he bought anymore right now he would have nowhere to put his new purchase. He looked around and spotted a shop promoting magical luggage. Deciding it might have what he needed, Harry entered.

Not wanting to haul around a trunk, and already owning one that could meet all his needs Harry passed that section in search of something smaller and more portable. Near the back of the store he came across what looked like a few matchbox sized trunks in a pile. They had a card on them which read;

_This line of trunks are useful for those traveling as the large amount of space within can hold roughly twice that of a normal trunk and can shrink down to fit within a pocket._

Deciding it would do for his shopping today Harry picked one up and took it over to the man who was sleeping on a chair behind the counter. He coughed loudly, causing the man to jerk upright in his seat. "How much do you want for the trunk?"

"Twenty galleons that is, and to make it change size all you got to do is say 'morph' with it close to your face." The man replied, still seeming off balance from waking so suddenly.

Harry paid quickly and left even faster. He was feeling paranoid all trip and he knew it. He just wanted to get his shopping over with and return to his room to put off this sense of dread he was feeling.

When he got to the apothecary the feeling of dread had gotten worse and Harry decided just to buy a bit of everything where ingredients were concerned. Seeing the pre-made potions section Harry also decided to grab one of each of the languages. He knew some, if not most of the books he had taken from the Black family vault were written in languages he didn't know. He also took at least one of all the different kinds of healing potions, not knowing if he would ever need them, but deciding having them wouldn't hurt any. He passed the stand of solid gold caldrons he had seen in first year with Hagrid, and decided to buy them now because he had not only money but his school caldrons had taken a bit of a beating over the last five years. With that in mind Harry picked up several programmable stirring rods and a set of caldrons in each type of metal available; pewter, bronze, copper, iron, steel, silver, and platinum.

When he went to pay for all of the things he had chosen he received a few very odd look from the clerk, especially when he paid for all the items and started placing them into his newly acquired trunks.

"Are you training for your potions mastery of something kid? Because if you are there is something you're missing from your collection there." The man said with slightly condescending drawl.

"And what would that be?" Harry asked slightly irritably. He felt torn between wanting to know, and wanting to get out of the Alley and rid himself of the odd feeling of dread that had been building in him.

"Settle down there, no need to bite my head off. What you need, my friend is some of the more volatile ingredients that don't make it on display. They are only for those training for, or have already attained their mastery in potions. Follow me." He said as he walked around the counter to a door in the back and waited until Harry finish putting away the things he had already bought.

Finishing with his purchases, Harry decided to at least see what was being offered and after re-shrinking his trunk he joined the man by the door. The man smiled, "Through here is the good stuff, and some of what's in here isn't exactly ministry approved. But it's still good business to those who are in your field of study. By the way, my name's Bartholomew Torak, but any who enter here can call me Blue."

Now Harry was thinking fast. He would be expected to give a name, but he couldn't let anyone know who he really was. Not yet at least. And then it came to him, a name to use, one that would be loads better than saying Neville like he had for his trip on the Knight Bus. "Alright Blue, I'm James. James Evens."

"Follow me then James." Blue said opening the door. It opened into a long hallway with two doors on the left alternating with the one on the right. On the right side at the end of the hallway was a set of stairs leading down into what Harry assumed was the basement.

Blue led them down the stairs to an iron door. Blue put a heavy looking key into the lock and turned back to Harry and said, "Here it is, James. Take a look." Blue turned the key and opened the door.

The things inside looked eerily similar to Snape's office, bits of creatures floating in jars lined the wall. Harry stepped into the room and started reading the tags on the jars. What he found was both intriguing and disgusting in the extreme.

Re'em heart, Manticore hair and venom, powdered Chimaera eggs, pieces of a Lethifold's cloak, Acromantula poison, and Thestral heart among the main ones to catch his interest. There was an entire wall dedicated to bits and pieces of dragons with the only thing missing being the hide.

Aware that most, if not all of the materials on this room were class A non-tradable materials, Harry turned to Blue with a smile and asked, "How long would it take you to restock all of this?"

A little surprised Blue frowned slightly in thought and said, "Depends on the market at the time. Could take anywhere from a few months to two years."

"And how much do you think all of this would sell for?" Harry asked looking at a jar.

"I'd put it at something like thirteen thousand galleons" Blue said with a greedy look in his eye. "It's pricey, but then again smuggling is never cheep."

"I'll take it all." Harry said drawing out his money bag. He turned to Blue who had a shell shocked expression that was mixed with greed plastered all across his face.

"If you've got the gold, it's yours James." Blue said smiling.

Harry set the bag to the price mentioned and began drawing handfuls of gold before just flipping the bag upside down pouring the gold out onto the floor.

Blue's eyes shot open and he whistled, "Alright then James, load it up it's yours." And Harry began doing just that.

Ten minutes later the pair emerged from the basement and made their way to the shop proper. Then Harry asked, "Blue, why are you in your particular business of trade in this part of the Alley rather than around the corner?"

Blue laughed, "James, the Auror squads are a lot less suspicious of businesses in this part of the Alley. And there is nothing wrong with Knockturn Alley; it's like any slum in the world, filled with the dregs of a society."

"Alright Blue," Harry said, "thanks for your help today. And I hope your restocking goes quickly."

Harry turned and left the apothecary in a slightly better mood than he had entered, yet the feeling of dread was still there, like something in the near future was going to go terribly bad. Harry set the feeling aside for the moment and went over to Flourish and Blotts to look for books.

Inside Harry thought about the message he had received from Nicolas Flamel regarding magical foci, and so made his way over to the area about the creation of magical objects. Finding what he was looking for, Harry grabbed several books on wand making, enchanting, and brooms.

With those taken care of Harry began to wander through the store taking both basic and advanced books in Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, Potions, Herbology, Runes, Arithmancy, CMC, and Magical Law.

Even with the books that Harry had found in the Black Vault, he wanted to make sure he had all possible resources available to him and if he didn't need them they would still be an option.

Then Harry came to the section on magical travel and grabbed several books on apparition and the use of portkeys. Harry skipped over the books on the floo-network as it was too limiting, not everywhere he went would have fireplace connected to the network.

With his stack of books ready Harry made his way over to the counter to pay for his books. The lady checking him out looked to be even older than Dumbledore and didn't even seem to notice or care how many books he was buying, even when he handed over the gold. He didn't even wait to receive his change, tossing his books into the little room that was left in his trunk after his visit to the apothecary and leaving.

Back in the Alley proper Harry decided to call it in for today and head back to the Dursley's. He couldn't call Dobby because he had promised the elf he would find a different way home.

The only option that seemed likely to him was to go back to muggle London and have a cab take him back to Surrey. He couldn't take the Knight Bus without alerting the Order, he couldn't apparate or make portkeys yet, and there was no access to the floo-network.

So Harry made his way back through the Leaky Caldron to muggle London, removing his cloak as he did so. Out on the street Harry hailed a taxi and just like that he was on his way back to his personal prison.

* * *

Harry got out of the cab close to six in the evening about a block from his house. He took his time walking back, enjoying the fresh air.

When Harry got to the front door he heard raised voices inside. It sounded like Uncle Vernon was yelling at both Aunt Petunia and Dudley.

Harry frowned, that was odd. He had only ever heard his uncle yelling at him; not his aunt or cousin.

He opened the door cautiously, trying not to be noticed. He failed spectacularly at sneaking when the door groaned loudly, announcing his presence.

"Boy! Get in here!" His uncle bellowed from the kitchen. With more concern than before, Harry approached the kitchen and entered slowly. His uncle Vernon stood unsteadily, empty bottles of brandy scattered across the table and floor.

"You! You did this to me boy!" his uncle bellowed. Dudley flinched and whimpered from the corner. Vernon continued, "Your freakishness has gone too far! Your blasted weird hocus-pocus is ruining me! This is all your fault! First the Mason's dinner and now this! You got me fired boy!"

Harry couldn't say anything, there was nothing to say. This was just like when he had done magic as a child; berated heavily and tossed into the cupboard under the stairs. Except now his uncle was in a drunken rage focused directly at Harry. He didn't think his uncle would stop at yelling this time.

Harry was about to make a run for the door when he heard a loud screech and Hedwig flew in through the open window and began circling the kitchen screeching.

Both happiness at seeing his faithful companion and dread for what might happen filled Harry.

And then his uncle bellowed, "BLOODY OWL!" he reached over and grabbed the frying pan from off the stove and swung it with all his strength at the circling bird. The pan hit Hedwig full on sending the own across the kitchen into the wall.

Harry watched it happen unable to prevent what was coming, but then he heard the snapping of his familiars' bones breaking and lost it. Harry felt something rise within him as he looked at Hedwig's broken body. She had been his first birthday gift, his friend, his companion through all the summers in hell.

And now she was gone. He felt the feeling grow and then he loosed a roar of grief and sorrow. All of his emotions poured into it, the yell echoed and something flowed with it. Flames of silver and black lashed out at everything nearby, destroying all that it touched.

Harry didn't even notice the flames around him; his vision had tunneled down to include only the bird lying on the floor.

Behind him the Dursley's screamed and turned to ash, and the house followed only seconds after.

Harry noticed nothing of this as he gently scooped Hedwig's body off of the floor and held her to himself. Tears leaked down his face as he held her close. Then almost in a trance he stood up and looking to the sky lifted her body up.

He offered her body up to the sky and she rose on pillars of flame unnoticed by the young wizard. When she was almost thirty feet into the air the flames Billowed and grew. They formed into the shape of an enormous owl as large as any dragon with the white body of Hedwig where a heart would have been.

It spread its wings and screeched in defiance and then vanished.

Back on the ground Harry collapsed, out cold.

* * *

Dobby had felt his master approaching for more than an hour, and now that he was right outside he stopped his work inside the trunk to make master dinner. He had only finished putting all of his master's belongings into the trunk when he felt his master's mood change. He was not sure what master's muggle had said but he felt it had been bad.

And then even more Dobby felt danger. He quickly grabbed master's trunk and popped out of the house. He reappeared in a few bushes down the block and watched in horrid fascination and the house exploded.

* * *

Mundungus Fletcher was sleeping with his back against a wall across the street from the Dursley house he had been sent to guard.

He was shaken from his slumber when he heard an explosion and looked up to see the house he'd been 'watching' go up in silvery-black flames.

Gapping Mundungus watched a flaming bird rise up into the sky. To say he was terrified was an understatement.

He looked up once more at the flaming bird just beginning to spread its wings in the evening air before apparating back to the Burrow. Dumbledore would have to be told and people needed to come back with him to find out what had happened.

**AN: So there it is both the Dursley's and Hedwig are gone and things are picking up a bit. Another small note I don't currently have anyone proof reading my work so there will probably be a few mistakes. Another thing I'd like to ask for is suggestions for Harry's animagus forms, the only limitations being no phoenix, basilisk, or dragons. I have plans for all of these later in different manners. So far I'm leaning towards choosing a griffin because it is the king of beasts on both land and in the air. Just let me know what you think.**


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